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Q NEW S. NEW S IN BRIEF The school musical is one of those occasions when all ages in the senior school come together, in various guises, and put on a show. The first performance of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat showed how important it is for this mix of talent to work as a team in order to produce a cohesive result. The second performance was a triumph of such teamwork. In opera, the recitative is as important, if not more important, than the arias as it tells the story and links the main tunes together. In Joseph, that is the role of the narrators and Cara Murray, with Bethan McKeating, certainly carried out that role perfectly, often having some very tricky phrases to sing. Joseph, played by Theo Roberts, provided another linchpin around which the rest of the cast could work. His voice is still developing and we were privy to some of its potential in the many styles that he had to sing in the role. His performance on Friday was confident and assured. The remaining senior members of the cast provided a good example of how to project your voice without relying totally on any amplification by microphone technology, which is something that many young performers have grown up with and then tend to rely on. Microphones can only do so much and the need to ‘perform to the back of the hall’ still applies today in much the same way as it did before amplification. Once performers become aware of this the technical wizards can work their magic. The technical support for the show was excellent. I took the opportunity to spend some time watching them in action. The confidence, technical knowledge, and manual dexterity of those pupils involved was an education in itself. Observant members of the audience will have noticed the synchronised light and sound reflecting the mood, and at times even the words, of the musical. The music is, of course, very familiar and that can often make life doubly difficult for the musicians, as everyone can spot a mistake! In this performance they would have been struggling to find them. The band were very secure in their playing and were another vital piece in this jigsaw, supporting the singers and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first show I co-directed with Jim Grogan and Margaret Adams in 1985. Previously I had been involved with costume and set design but was happy to join the team. Since then I have done thirty musicals, from The Mikado to Les Miserables. I am always amazed by the talent of the cast in a wide variety of styles and genres. Some have gone on to work in the professional theatre: · Gavin Makinson (Gavin James, his professional name), was in Les Miserables for three years and is due to open with Bryn Terfel and Emma Thompson at the English National Opera in Sweeney Todd. He would have come to the show if he had been free! · Jonathan Slinger was in Pirates of Penzance and Half a Sixpence when at school. Since then he has played Nelson in BBC 2's dramatisation and was with the RSC as Hamlet and Macbeth previously. · Tim Sutton is currently on the Shaftesbury stage playing the piano for Beverely Knight as the Musical Director of Memphis. · Matt Wilson from the 1992 Joseph has been in Mr Selfridge and the new series Poldark. · TV newsreader, Krishnan GuruMurthy and his sister Geeta both played leads in Brigadoon, South Pacific, Grease and Joseph. Check out all these stories and more by going to www.qegsblackburn.com I have worked with many musical directors over the years, most notably Geoff Hill; we did fifteen shows together. Infant and Junior All the latest Infant & Junior news is in their monthly newsletters. Click here to read the latest! 4
No. 48 Lent Term 2015 providing a continuous flow throughout the show. Joseph was a good team performance with all the parts working together to produce a show that displayed the best of the talent there. Well done! For Musical Director, Mrs Jane Thomas, this was her first musical of what we hope will be many more. For Director, Mrs Regina Arkwright this was the last in a very long line! The number of hours that she has devoted to school productions over the years is a lifetime in itself. Her dedication and expertise will be missed but I for one would not bet on her not turning up ‘just to help out’ in future productions. PRO The 88 th Yr7-10 House swimming gala The 88 th House swimming gala was as competitive as ever, even though it was in a new format, with more girl races being included. Some of the racing was close and new girl records were set in the Back Crawl, Breastroke and Butterfly. Nathan Smith broke a 10-year-old House record in the U13 Breastroke, in a time of 16.46s. The warm applause, from the many parents at the side of the pool, for those who strived to finish a race showed how impressed they were with their efforts. As one parent commented to the Headmaster, ‘The House system clearly supports comradeship which transcends age, gender and ability; this was wonderful to watch.’ Drake were the winners. Year 7 pupils were entranced as Kate Smyth put her assistance dog, Hal through his paces. Kate suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and is a wheelchair user and Hal has been provided by the charity Dogs for the Disabled. With Hal's help Kate is able to lead a much more independent life than she would ordinarily have with her condition. Kate explained how the dogs are trained. The first year of a puppy's life is spent in a home with a volunteer puppy socialiser. Then the training begins in earnest. Hal demonstrated how he could pick up items his owner dropped. He started off easily enough with a pair of spectacles and a mobile phone but he was even able to pick up credit card and twenty pence piece. Assistance dogs not only support their owners but become close friends as the bond develops. Dogs for the Disabled are working to provide solutions to help people with a wide variety of different disabilities and conditions; from assistance dogs helping children and adults with physical disabilities and families affected by autism, to pet dog autism workshops, and innovative new projects working in schools and residential care settings. Year 7 pupils raised £1,267.47 to cover the cost of socialising and training a puppy. Anyone wishes to support their efforts can make a donation through school, marking the envelope Dogs for the Disabled (Dr Saunders).
Page 1 and 2: NEWS. No. 48 Lent Term 2015 We know
Page 3: No. 48 Lent Term 2015 Mini Monologu
Page 7 and 8: No. 48 Lent Term 2015 NEW S FOR FOR

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